Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo says Japan will play a leading role in the Group of Seven economic powers issuing a statement on Hong Kong affairs.
Abe said in the Diet on Wednesday that Japan has expressed concern over developments in Hong Kong, following China's decision to introduce national security legislation aimed at cracking down on anti-government protesters in the territory.
The Japanese labor ministry says non-regular workers account for about 60 percent of people who have recently lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The ministry says 4,210 people were let go or had their contracts terminated, or were expected to lose their jobs in the week through last Friday.
Japanese business giant SoftBank Group found about 0.4 percent of people tested positive for coronavirus antibodies in a survey it conducted. Having antibodies means that the person has contracted the virus in the past.
The group released the preliminary results of the survey in a live-streamed event on Tuesday.
Temperatures soared on Tuesday across wide areas in Japan. The country is no stranger to blazing summers, but the need to wear facemasks due to the coronavirus poses a health risk all of its own -- heatstroke.
A high-pressure system pushed temperatures up. The mercury topped 35 degrees Celsius in a part of Fukuoka Prefecture in the southwest, and some other areas.
Temperatures soared across most of Japan on Tuesday, with the mercury topping 35 degrees Celsius in southern and western regions.
The Meteorological Agency says clear skies brought by a high pressure system extending from western to northeastern Japan, combined with an influx of warm air from the south, have caused temperatures to soar.
Members of Japan's ruling party have compiled draft measures to make it easier to identify people who have posted anonymous bullying messages online.
The move followed the death of Kimura Hana, a professional wrestler and reality TV star who is believed to have killed herself after being cyberbullied.